Microbiome Nourishing

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Fifteen entries that feed or restore the organisms that keep the gut calm. My view, after a decade of watching: probiotics are often overhyped in IBD, and most of the trials disappoint, but the right organism for the right person can be important, which is why four organisms are highlighted here alongside the fibers that feed them. As a broad rule, probiotics are better tolerated and more effective in ulcerative colitis than in Crohn's, though people with either can benefit from them and be bothered by them. Whatever you introduce, introduce it gradually and let tolerance set the pace; that applies to the fibers as much as to the organisms. One entry, spore-based probiotics, is here so you know why I don't recommend it. If your diagnosis is microscopic colitis, note that the AGA guideline suggests against probiotics for inducing remission; in my own work I have seen selected organisms help some people with MC, and I hold that observation next to the guideline rather than against it.